I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6031 

To require a study of the well-being of the newsprint and publishing industry 

in the United States, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 7, 2018 

Mrs. NOEM (for herself, Mr. CRIST, Mr. FLORES, Mr. NORMAN, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Ms. JENKINS of Kansas, Mr. POLIQUIN, 

Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. GROTHMAN, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, and Mr. 

SMITH of Missouri) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by 

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To require a study of the well-being of the newsprint and 

publishing industry in the United States, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Rational 

5 Incentives in Newsprint Trade Act of 2018’’ or the 

6 ‘‘PRINT Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. STUDY OF NEWSPRINT INDUSTRY WELL-BEING. 

2 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Commerce shall con3 duct a study of the economic well-being, health, and vital4 ity of the newsprint industry and the local newspaper pub5 lishing industry in the United States, which shall include 

6 an assessment of the following: 

7 (1) The trends in demand for newsprint and 

8 traditional printed newspapers. 

9 (2) The trends in demand for digital or online 

10 consumption of news. 

11 (3) The costs of inputs in the production of tra12 ditional printed newspapers, including the use of 

13 newsprint. 

14 (4) The effect of declining readership of tradi15 tional printed newspapers on the continued viability 

16 of the newsprint and newspaper publishing indus17 tries and the continued availability of coverage of 

18 local news, local sports, local government, and local 

19 disaster prevention and awareness. 

20 (5) The trends in the pulp and paper industry 

21 of the United States and the effect of declining de22 mand for newsprint on the health of the pulp and 

23 paper industry. 

24 (6) Measures undertaken by printers and news25 paper publishers to reduce costs in response to in26 creased costs for newsprint in the United States, 


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1 and whether such measures have harmed local news 

2 coverage or reduced employment in the newspaper 

3 and publishing industries. 

4 (7) Whether measures undertaken by publishers 

5 and printers to reduce costs have harmed local busi6 nesses that advertise in local newspapers. 

7 (8) The global production capacity for news8 print in light of the declining demand for newsprint. 

9 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

10 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce 

11 shall submit to the President and Congress a report on— 

12 (1) the findings of the study required by sub13 section (a); and 

14 (2) any recommendations that the Secretary 

15 considers appropriate. 

16 (c) STAY OF DETERMINATIONS.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2) 

18 and notwithstanding any provision of title VII of the 

19 Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1671 et seq.), the 

20 Secretary of Commerce and the United States Inter21 national Trade Commission may not give effect to 

22 an affirmative determination in an antidumping or 

23 countervailing duty investigation relating to imports 

24 of uncoated groundwood paper conducted under that 

25 title until the President certifies to the Secretary 


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1 and the Chairman of the Commission that the Presi2 dent— 

3 (A) has received the report required by 

4 subsection (b); and 

5 (B) has concluded that giving effect to the 

6 determination is in the economic interest of the 

7 United States. 

8 (2) RATES.— 

9 (A) IN GENERAL.—Until such time as the 

10 President issues the certification described in 

11 paragraph (1), the administering authority (as 

12 defined in section 771(1) of the Tariff Act of 

13 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1677(1))) shall order a rate of 

14 zero for deposits posted pursuant to sections 

15 703(d), 705(c)(1), 733(d), and 735(c)(1) of 

16 that Act (19 U.S.C. 1671b(d), 1671d(c)(1), 

17 1673b(d), and 1673d(c)(1)) in an investigation 

18 described in paragraph (1). 

19 (B) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This paragraph 

20 shall take effect on the date of the enactment 

21 of this Act without regard to any later effective 

22 date of an order required by subparagraph (A). 

23 (3) CANADA AND MEXICO.—Pursuant to article 

24 1902 of the North American Free Trade Agreement 

25 and section 408 of the North America Free Trade 


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1 Agreement Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 3438), 

2 this subsection applies to goods from Canada and 

3 Mexico. 

4 (4) APPLICATION.—This subsection applies only 

5 to an antidumping or countervailing duty investiga6 tion that is ongoing as of the date of the enactment 

7 of this Act. 

Æ 


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